IRA man to be sentenced next month

A DUBLIN man with Courtown connections found guilty of IRA membership will be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court in December.

Earlier this month, the court found Ryan Glennon (25), of Macken Villas, Macken St, Dublin, guilty of membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on May 13, 2015.

At last Monday’s sentence hearing, Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce, of the Special Detective Unit, summarized the facts of the case.

He told prosecuting counsel Tara Burns SC that Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwan had given evidence of his belief that Glennon was a member of the IRA on the date in question.

During the trial the court also heard evidence of a search of a house in Courtown, where gardai found rockets and explosive materials.

Four rockets were found inside a water butt, itself placed on a handcart.

Glennon’s fingerprints were found on the handcart.

Other explosive materials, including Semtex, were found in a tupperware container in the kitchen. Also inside the container was a pair of gloves, on which Glennon’s DNA was found.

The trial also heard evidence of garda surveillance of Glennon, who was seen on May 9th, 2014, in the Courtown house.

Mr Burns told the three-judge, non-jury court that the maximum sentence for such an offence is eight years in prison.

Mr Justice Robert Eagar, presiding, with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain and Judge James Faughnan, remanded Glennon in custody until December 5, when he will be sentenced.